Bullwhipped (A Cowboy Romance) (3 page)

Kicking her legs off the side of the bed, she gathered up her clothes and made sure not to wake him. She ran her foot over the condom rapper on the floor and smoothed her hands down her hair. If she needed any more of a reason to not go to bars, this was it. She knew better than this.

She had to hope she’d never run into him at rodeos.

She’d avoid bull riding at all costs.

Cale rolled over, squinting at the small beam of sunlight that streamed through the curtains. Groaning, he pulled the covers up around him. He didn’t know what time it was, but that it was too early to even think to get out of bed. Stretching his legs out, he tried to doze, but jolted awake when he realized that Olivia wasn’t beside him in the bed. Sitting up, he looked around the room. There was no sign of her anywhere. His clothes were scattered across the floor, but hers were gone.

Raking his hand through his hair, a small pang of guilt hit him. Had he scared her? She definitely didn’t seem like the type of woman he usually brought back to the motel. Her innocence was what attracted him, along with the fact that he had spotted her earlier in the day and had somehow managed to track her down. Taking it as far as sex was a surprise, but she gave no hint that she didn’t want it. The instant physical attraction was overwhelming.

Lifting the sheet, he realized he was still naked underneath. Leaning back against the headboard, he thought about Olivia Hayes. Her soft skin, her long legs, her beautiful blue eyes, and her voice were all things he found himself admiring. What was it about her? Most times, if the woman left in the middle of the night, Cale shrugged it off. Nothing lost, nothing gained but a night of sexual release, but it was different with Olivia. This wasn’t a one-time thing. She had left him wanting more.

Ambling to the bathroom, he turned the knob to hot and climbed in, ducking his head against the tile as the water flowed over him. He had a hard time grasping his bearings. What town were they off to today, and would Olivia be there? He hoped so. He didn’t want this to be it. He had so much he wanted to tell her, and he wanted to prove her stereotypical views of him wrong.

What a good start he was off to. Getting her into bed and taking it all the way the first night they had met was in no way helping what she thought of him. Cale quickly lathered up, thinking about Olivia and her supple body beneath him – her heavy breathing, her ample breasts, and the way she tasted – it was enough to feel his arousal growing, and he quickly thought about something else to sway any erotic thoughts from his mind. If he wanted to win her over, he had to get back to basics. He had to be a gentleman.

Hopping out of the shower, he toweled off and took a long look at himself in the mirror. Why couldn’t he just shrug this off and move on? Why was he so upset that she had snuck out in the middle of the night, leaving him alone?

Several knocks pulled him from his frustration. “Hurry up, Cale, we gotta get on the road!”

It was Sammy, and Cale heaved a deep sigh. Grabbing his Wranglers from the floor, he slipped them on and unlocked the door, allowing his riding buddy inside. “Jeez, chill with the knocking.”

Sammy did a double take, a sly smirk flashing on his face. “Well hell, from the looks of things, I’d say someone had a good time in here last night.” He bent over and picked up the condom wrapper. “Was it that girl you were dancing with? She was…”

Cale took the wrapper and threw it in the trash. “You’re very observant, Sammy.” He thought about Olivia using the same phrase on him and how he loved her sarcasm. “Let me just pack up real quick and we can get going.”

“Ah, come on, man, no details? I need some details!”

Cale ignored him and gathered up his things, slipping into his last clean shirt. Usually he wasn’t so clammed up about things, but this was all so different. He felt respect for Olivia, even though he didn’t know her. It didn’t feel right talking about what they had shared with just anyone, even if Sammy was begging him.

“You mean you didn’t grab one of those buckle bunnies for yourself? There were tons waiting at the bar for you, ready to go. Ruminate on what you did last night and I’ll keep mine to myself, how about that?”

Sammy arched his eyebrow and for a second, was speechless. “Guess it didn’t go as good as I thought. By the looks of the place I thought…”

“Think what you want. I don’t wanna talk about it.” Sliding into his boots, he double-checked the bathroom to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind. His memory quickly flashed to Olivia, pinned against the wall, her body so inviting as he pulled her shirt off. Blinking, he shoved it aside. He had to get her out of his head.

“Sorry, Cale. I guess we don’t always have the best sex. It’s bound to happen, even to you.” Sammy clapped him on the shoulder and winked. “You’re taking first shift in driving. I’m hung over as shit.”

“Yeah, but you better tell me where we’re going.” He twirled the keys on his index finger, pulling his sunglasses on as the bright sun felt like a nail drilling through his skull. Tossing his duffel bag in the back, he climbed in the cab and the truck vibrated as the engine came to life.

“Denton. It’s about a three-hour drive. We still gotta make registration, so we better get moving.”

Nodding, Cale went to put the truck in gear when he saw Olivia in the rear view mirror, loading up her own truck. She tossed several bags in the bed and went around back to the horse trailer, inspecting the door.

“Give me a second, Sammy.”

Hurrying her direction, Cale had no idea what he was going to say to her. She’d probably think he was a psychopath, but he had to talk to her.

“Hey Olivia.”

She looked up but ignored him, continuing to latch in her horse. She didn’t look amused and it was a punch to his gut. He wasn’t used to women treating him like this.

“Are you mad about something?” he asked.

“No.”

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

She hurried around the other side of the trailer, pulling him with her. “Make it quick. My brother is here and he’s ready to get on the road. I don’t want him knowing what I did last night. I don’t want
anyone
knowing.”

“You act like you committed murder or something,” Cale replied. It wasn’t common to run across someone with such traditional views on sex. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t shake her. She was a challenge he had never faced before.

“No, but I
never
sleep with men I just meet. I’m not sure why you happened to be the exception. I figured what we had is done. You got what you wanted from me. On to the next girl.”

“There you go assuming about me again, Olivia. What makes you think I’m that way?”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her frown never changing. Even when she was mad, he found her attractive. “Cale Warren. I didn’t recognize the name last night but I do now. Your reputation precedes you, and here I am, another notch on your belt. Any assumption I’m making is pretty accurate, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not. You’re going to listen to rumors instead of me? I’m here to ask if I can see you again. Are you going to the Denton rodeo next?” Cale tried to hide his anger. He did have a reputation, but he was trying desperately to get away from it. He just wanted a chance with her. Resistance was a whole new thing for him, which made him fight harder.

“Yes, we’re in Denton, but no, I don’t want to see you again.” She looked him straight in the eye, her blue eyes cold as steel. “Good luck on your ride.” She moved toward the truck, not even taking another glance back at him. “Let’s get going, Oscar. I want to get there in time to ride Chance a bit.”

Cale watched as the truck drove through the parking lot and out of sight. He didn’t even realize Sammy was standing next to him until he spoke up. “So that was the one. I knew it was her! She’s hot! And a hell of a barrel racer!”

“Shut the hell up and get in the truck.” Cale took another long look toward the road, hoping the pickup would come speeding back to him, but there was nothing. She was a hell of a barrel racer. Suddenly, his desire to watch that particular event heightened. Something told him that she was saying no, but she didn’t really mean it. Something in her eyes, in her body language, and the way her voice shook when she spoke.

She had a fence around her heart and Cale was ready to tear it down and get to know everything there was to know about Olivia Hayes.

***

Olivia fought hard to not think about Cale. Every song that came on the radio seemed to relate to her situation, and had Oscar not been with her, she would have turned it off and rode in silence. She’d never admit it out loud, but the fact that he had chased her down in the parking lot made her heart skip a beat. The Cale Warren she had heard about would’ve never given her a second glance after what he got from her, and there he was, practically begging to go out with her again.

But she couldn’t. The instant physical attraction was too much to bear, and the guilt she was feeling was unbearable. If she gave him another chance, she was certain she wouldn’t be able to resist him, only adding to the horrible feelings of moving too fast.

Resting her head on the window, she continuously checked the mirror. What if he sped up beside them? What if he followed them? Denton wasn’t a huge town. The chances of getting the same hotel were plausible.

She’d just have to be strong. She’d have to ignore those amazing green eyes and that perfect smile. Could she? His smoldering good looks held her captive easily before, and now that she experienced everything he had to offer, she knew he was capable of sending her to heightened pleasure over and over again. The things he did with his mouth made another chill shoot down her spine, and she quickly had to shove it all from her mind, especially since her brother was right next to her in the cab of the pickup. Thank goodness he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. He’d disown her if he knew what she had been up to just a few hours before.

“Cat got your tongue?” Oscar glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

“No, just tired.”

“I figure after going out you’d have some interesting stories.”

“No, nothing really.”

“You didn’t get back to the room until long after the bar closed. Y’all go do something else?”

Olivia balled her fists up, feeling the sweat on her palms. Did he know? Had he overheard Cale at the trailer? “Yeah we all hung out in the parking lot a bit. I probably shouldn’t have. I’m paying for it now.”

“Yeah. Looks like early to bed tonight. Big ride tomorrow.”

Olivia left their conversation at that. She didn’t have the energy to say anything else, and sometimes Oscar was hard to read. If he knew he would either go confront Cale or he’d let it fester under the surface for God knew how long.

Her forehead pressed against the glass and she closed her eyes, trying hard to get some sleep. She needed to refocus her attention on her riding school and all of the goals she had made for herself. Cale was just some guy that would become part of her past like the other men in her life.

But why couldn’t she have a relationship based on sex? Some of her friends did. But they were also unhappy, jealous, and had too much drama going on. She didn’t want that. And maybe Cale wanted more. It wasn’t fair for her to shoot him down based on his track record, but she also couldn’t let her guard down and come out broken hearted. She wanted to scream out her frustrations to the world.

Why did he have to come into her life right now and push her off her straight and narrow path? She had to avoid Cale Warren and keep her focus. So what if he was perfect. So what if her heart and her head weren’t telling her the same thing. Her dreams and aspirations were her future. Cale was a temporary bad judgment call based solely on physical attraction and lust. There was nothing more in it for her and she had to be an adult about it.

After registration, Cale went straight to the hotel. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was hoping he’d spot Olivia’s truck and horse trailer parked outside, but there was no sign of it. Sighing, he gripped his duffel bag and heaved it over his shoulder, ducking past some other familiar faces he saw at all the other rodeos he went to. He ignored the comments from a few of the women – normally he’d flirt back, but his mind was on other things.

“What’s the matter, Cale? You stay on eight and think you’re too good for us now?”

Cale kept his head low, but knew it was Justin, a previous traveling buddy of his. Turning on his heel, Cale flashed him a quick glance, but before he could respond, Sammy grabbed his arm and pulled him toward their room.

“Let it go. Save your edge for your ride. You drew
Cochise
. Best to get your head wrapped around that rather than fight with Justin.”

Cale jerked his arm away and slammed the door. “Since when are you the levelheaded one, Sammy?”

“Since I saw that look on your face. You wanted to kill him and honestly, he didn’t say anything all that bad. What gives? I can tell there’s something bugging you.”

Cale pulled the bag of dirty clothes out and tossed them on the floor. The last clean clothes he had were the ones he was wearing. Pulling a wad of cash from his wallet, he made sure he had enough to cover a couple of loads at the laundry mat.

“Who says there’s something bugging me?”

“You said maybe two words to me during the entire drive here. You’re usually the first to turn the radio station when a corny ass country song comes on about your dog and your love. Just doesn’t seem like you, that’s all I’m saying.”

Maybe Olivia was a bigger factor than Cale had expected. He thought he was hiding it well, but for Sammy to catch on, he was like an open book.

Grabbing his dirty clothes, he headed for the door. “I’m fine. I’m gonna go get these clothes washed. I noticed a wash room near the pool.”

He passed by Justin and his group again, but thankfully, no one said anything to him. Sammy was right – he was on the verge of decking the guy and for no true reason. His fuse was short and he had to get a handle on it. He couldn’t allow a woman to affect him so bad – he had a rodeo to win, plain and simple. She spoke her peace. She didn’t want to go out with him again. He had to cut his losses and move on.

Tossing his bag of clothes on the counter, he stuffed as much as he could in the washer and inserted several quarters in the slot. Leaning against the machine, he glanced up at the TV. A typical daytime soap opera was on and he tried to think about anything other than his night with Olivia.

He had drawn
Cochise
, which meant he had quite a challenge ahead of him. He’d definitely give him a good score if he could master the ride.

Those legs. Those eyes. Her soft skin and the way she moaned in his ear.
Damn it!
It was like someone had turned the channel in his mind, and Cale tried to change it back to his ride tomorrow. What words of advice would his father have to offer?

Her taste, her tongue, her firm breasts in the palm of his hand and in his mouth. Kicking the washer, he muttered a few curse words under his breath. There was no shaking this woman.
And why?
What was so special about Olivia Hayes that held his every waking thought hostage?

As if the universe put a curse on him, she walked into the laundry room, a large basket full of clothes balanced on her hip. She didn’t appear to spot him as she went to a washing machine on the far wall. Or maybe she was damn good at ignoring him. Cale fought the sudden urge to walk up to her. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her.

Turning, he pretended to watch TV, though he was watching her from the corner of his eye. Even in a faded t-shirt and worn out jeans, she still looked incredible. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and a few strands fell loose around her face, providing a relaxed and casual appearance. Those jeans – how could they fit a person so well? They hugged the roundness of her ass like they had been specifically made just for her.

Looking up, she made eye contact with him.
Shit.
Even pretending not to watch her had backfired. Her cheeks reddened, but she made no indication that she wanted to speak to him.

Cale imagined himself pushing her against the wall, wrapping her legs around him, and feeling every inch of her again. Those were the thoughts that were going to get him into trouble. His arousal grew in his boxers and he tried his best to focus on the horrible TV show. If anything would be a mood killer, the cheesy acting would do the job.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Cale almost didn’t hear her over the loud machines, but just the sound of her voice was music to his ears. Turning, he glanced at her over his shoulder, trying to play it cool. If he turned around, she might notice the raging hard on he was now carrying around.

“I was here first,” he replied, smirking.

“What, you think I’m going to accuse you of stalking me?”

Shrugging, Cale lifted his ball cap and raked his hand through his hair. “Seems I’ve freaked you out pretty good. Can never be too careful with the women-folk.”

“I had a feeling we’d end up booking the same motel.” She continued to sort her laundry, and Cale couldn’t help but notice the pile of panties. The red silky pair stuck out to him. He imagined her sprawled out on his bed wearing only that pair and nothing else. His erection was now pressing against his zipper and he craved release. He couldn’t do this here. He couldn’t even suggest it to her, especially since the sex angle seemed to only be a one-time thing with her. If he wanted to win her over, he had to be a complete gentleman.

“Great minds think alike, I guess.”

Olivia arched her eyebrow and started the washing machine. “I’m sorry I was such a bitch this morning. I just… my brother was there and I’m ashamed of myself.”

Cale finally turned to face her, hoping his jeans were baggy enough to do him a favor. “Like I said, you act like you killed someone. What happened between us was perfectly normal. You mean to tell me that you’ve never done anything like that before?”

“Jump in bed with a man I barely know from the bar? No, I can’t say that I have.” She tucked the strands of loose hair behind her ear.

“I find that hard to believe, Olivia Hayes.”

“It might be your normal thing, Cale, but some of us still believe in the sanctity of marriage and waiting. I still have respect for my body. I don’t just let anyone…” She trailed off, her eyes moving to the floor.

“That’s respectable. I can respect that.”
Could he?
After all of the things his imagination conjured up about getting her in his bed again, could he really respect what she just said? If he had any chance with her, he’d have to.

“Not that it matters. You and me got it all backwards.”

“How so?” Cale asked.

“Last night. I don’t think I have to go into any further detail about it, do I?”

Cale pointed his index finger at her, a small laugh escaping him. “Something tells me you’re not so sure. You say you don’t want to see me again, but there’s a small bit of hesitation. I think you’re interested, but you’re too damn scared because of all of the bullshit you’ve heard about me.”

Olivia lifted her gaze, quiet for a few seconds as his words sunk in. “You’re cowboy charm won’t change my mind, Cale.”

“I plan to watch you ride tomorrow. I heard you’re pretty damn good. If you’re half as good as you were in bed last night, you’ll take first place with flying colors.” He winked and moved back to the washing machine, noticing it had finished. It probably wasn’t the best thing to say to her, but the comment made her flushed cheeks even redder, and he loved getting a rise out of her. It wasn’t the romantic stance he had planned on, but there was no taking it back.

Aside from the hum of the appliances running and the TV, the room fell silent. Cale transferred his clothes to the dryer and started it. Looking up, he smiled as he waited for her comeback, but she just stared at him, her blue eyes wide.

“I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”

Shaking her head, she folded her arms over her chest. “You’re just living up to that reputation I’ve heard so much about.”

“Yeah? How about you watch my ride tomorrow?”

Olivia scoffed. “And what good would that do? I’m not a fast tailed buckle bunny. If you think that of me, you’ve got the wrong idea.”

“Oh, you’re far from that, Olivia. Maybe watching will help break down some of these stereotypical beliefs you have about me and every other guy who rides bulls. It’s my first line of defense to show you that Cale Warren isn’t the chauvinistic pig you think he is. Just watch. Even if you’re set on never having anything to do with me again, just watch it this one time.”

“I’ve watched bull riding before, Cale. This ain’t my first rodeo.

“But have you watched
me?”
He patted his chest.

“No. Can’t say that I have.”

“One time and you’ll be hooked. Will you watch?”

Sighing, she stared at him for a few seconds, contemplating it as if it was a life and death situation. “Maybe.”

“Maybe,” Cale repeated. “I guess if we have to compromise, I’ll take it.” Now he
had
to stay on eight seconds. She had straight up shot him down. Hopefully his ride would pull her in since nothing else was working for his favor.

***

Olivia balled her fists up as she put her saddle on Chance. Oscar had been lecturing her all morning about the importance of this ride, but her mind was on Cale. Would he really watch her? That alone made her breath catch in her throat and she wasn’t sure why. She had to stick to her guns. She didn’t need a future with him, so why did it matter if he’d be in the audience or not? And why was she even considering watching his ride? She never stuck around for the bull riding.

Climbing on Chance, she gripped the reins and prepared herself. She was up next and got the go ahead from the judge to start. Digging her spur into Chance’s side, his paced quickened as he sprinted into the arena, rounding the barrel to the right, clearing it with ease. She directed him around the second barrel and then the third, and before she knew it they were galloping back to the finish, pulling in her quickest ride she had ever had. Turning the horse, she eased him to a slow trot, and as she looked up at the crowd, immediately spotted Cale in the stands.

Damn, he looked amazing. His blue plaid pearl snap shirt was unbuttoned at the top, exposing the perfect amount of his muscled chest and the glow of a silver chain exposed a small view of a necklace. Olivia wanted to trace her tongue along it.
No!
She couldn’t think like that. She couldn’t let him have that control over her.

Ignoring his wave, she rode Chance back to the horse stall, hoping Cale wouldn’t meet her there. If she knew what was best for her, she wouldn’t watch his ride, but something was telling her to go check it out.

“Hell of a ride, Olivia!” Oscar patted her back as she got off of Chance. “I guess going out really relaxed you. I’ve never seen a smoother ride.”

“Chance did all the work.”

“Hell no. You pulled your weight too.”

Ignoring her brother, Olivia saw Cale in the distance, his smoldering gaze so hot underneath his Stetson. It took every ounce of her willpower not to go talk to him, and when he turned back to his group of friends and disappeared in the crowd, she felt a loss when he was no longer standing there.

“Earth to Olivia! You think we should do that?”

Turning to Oscar, she tried to play it cool. “I think I’m gonna stay and watch the bull riding. If you don’t wanna stay I’ll meet you at the motel and we can go grab a bite to eat later.”

Did she really just say that? Was she going to watch Cale’s ride? Something about him held her captive and she feared there was no turning back. But she couldn’t be that easy. She had to make him work for it, even if it meant keeping up the act of not being interested. Her pride depended on it.

“You’re gonna watch bull riding? Since when do you care about it?” Oscar arched his eyebrow, looking at her as if she had just spoken in another language.

“I want to give it a chance. Stay or leave, but I need to get back to the arena so I don’t miss it.”

Ignoring her brother’s expression, she weaved through everyone, finding one last seat near the front row. That’s how the rodeo always went – the crowd thickened whenever bull riding was next up. It was the popular event, and though she always envied the fact that it was the main attraction, she could understand why it was the most viewed.

Adjusting her weight, she kept her eye on the chutes where several cowboys gathered around. It was hard to spot Cale – they all looked the same with their hats on, but she finally saw him, standing at the edge of a group, his arms folded over his chest, looking down at the ground, appearing to be lost in a daydream. Could he see her from where he was? Would she look like a complete idiot if she waved?

No
. She had to play it off as not really caring about any of this. Hopefully he didn’t see her. If he approached her later, she’d lie and say she didn’t stick around. Looking up, he scanned the crowd, his eyes stopping on her.
Damn!
There was no doubt that she was spotted, and his lips turned up in a sexy smirk that made her want him again.